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Market Reach
More than one billion people globally experience significant disability.
Global Accessibility Council
Accessibility. Elevated.
Building organizations and experiences where everyone participates fully — by design, not by exception.
Global Accessibility Council partners with organizations to integrate accessibility, Universal Design, sustainability, and exceptional experience design into the fabric of how they operate, serve, and lead.
Our Framework
Six Dimensions of Accessibility Excellence
GAC's integrated framework addresses accessibility across every dimension of organizational performance.
Accessibility as Market Investment
Accessibility Is Not a Cost. It Is a Customer Experience Optimization Delivery Strategy.
Organizations that treat accessibility as a compliance obligation miss the larger opportunity. Accessibility influences how people discover and experience you.
Global Market Opportunity
$13 trillion
in global purchasing power. The opportunity extends beyond spending: accessibility influences where people go, what they buy, where they work, which experiences they trust and share with others, and which organizations earn their loyalty.
Source: Return on Disability Group
"The question is not whether accessibility creates value. The question is whether your organization is positioned to capture it."
The Business Case
Accessibility Is an Investment in Market Growth.
Accessibility creates value throughout the organization—improving customer experience, workforce participation, operational performance, innovation, and long-term organizational excellence.
GAC helps organizations identify not only their accessibility gaps — but the economic opportunities hidden inside them.
Where Accessibility Creates Value
- Remove barriers to purchasing
Accessibility Is an Organizational System
GAC Evaluates Accessibility Across the Complete Organizational Ecosystem.
Physical environments, digital systems, people, policies, leadership, procurement, communication, customer experience, workforce practices, sustainability, safety, and organizational performance are interconnected. GAC helps organizations understand those connections and move from requirements toward exceptional experience.
Requirements → Functional Access → Best Practice → Exceptional Experience
Leadership
Executive commitment, governance, and accountability for accessibility performance.
Strategy
Accessibility integrated into organizational vision, planning, and long-term direction.
People
Workforce capability, disability inclusion, and the human dimension of accessibility.
Physical Environment
Built environments, facilities, and spaces designed for universal access and exceptional usability.
Digital Environment
Websites, applications, and digital content that are genuinely usable by everyone.
Communication
Multi-modal communication that reaches every audience with clarity, dignity, and respect.
Customer Experience
End-to-end journeys that deliver seamless, dignified, and genuinely exceptional experiences.
Workforce
Workplace accessibility, accommodation practices, and inclusive employment systems.
Operations
Day-to-day operational practices, procedures, and service delivery that embed accessibility.
Procurement
Purchasing decisions that integrate accessibility requirements before barriers are created.
Safety & Resilience
Emergency plans, evacuation, and continuity systems that account for all disabilities.
Sustainability
Accessibility and sustainability as interconnected organizational commitments.
Measurement
Evidence-based benchmarking, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.
Innovation
Accessibility as a driver of organizational innovation and competitive advantage.
Results
Measurable outcomes — for people with disabilities, for the organization, and for the communities served.
GAC Proprietary Framework
The GAC Benchmarking Model
A Framework for Measuring and Advancing Accessibility Performance
GAC's proprietary benchmarking model gives organizations a clear, evidence-based picture of where they stand.
Level 1
FOUNDATION
Awareness & Baseline
Organizations at the Foundation level have established baseline accessibility awareness.
Level 2
FUNCTIONAL
Operational Integration
Accessibility is integrated into core operations, planning, and procurement.
Level 3
ELEVATED
Experience-Centered Design
Organizations at the Elevated level design experiences that are genuinely welcoming.
Level 4
EXCEPTIONAL
Leadership & Innovation
Exceptional organizations are recognized industry leaders.
Standards-Informed Approach
Functional Accessibility is the Foundation. Excellence Takes Us Further.
GAC's work is informed by recognized international and national accessibility standards frameworks informing the physical environment, digital, and service accessibility.
GAC is an independent advisory organization. References to standards frameworks are for informational and alignment purposes only.
How We Work With Organizations
Four Ways to Work With GAC
Whether you need to understand where you are, build a path forward, evaluate the lived experience, or establish an ongoing accessibility partnership — GAC provides the expertise.
Assess
Accessibility Assessment & Benchmarking
Understand where you are.
Comprehensive assessments across physical, digital, workplace, customer experience, and organizational dimensions — benchmarked against FOUNDATION → FUNCTIONAL → ELEVATED → EXCEPTIONAL.
Request an AssessmentStrategize
Accessibility Strategy & Advisory
Build the path forward.
Turn assessment findings and organizational goals into practical strategies — connecting Leadership → People → Environment → Technology → Operations → Experience → Results.
Build Your StrategyExperience
Accessibility Experience & Excellence
Understand accessibility as people actually experience it.
The GAC Signature Experience Evaluation™ evaluates accessibility across the complete customer or guest journey — from discovery through return.
Evaluate Your ExperiencePartner
GAC Accessibility Advisory Counsel™
Make GAC your ongoing accessibility partner.
Ongoing access to multidisciplinary accessibility expertise — so every procurement decision, renovation, technology purchase, and policy question has an expert answer before it becomes a barrier.
Explore an Advisory PartnershipOne Partner. Comprehensive Accessibility Expertise.
GAC brings together expertise across the full spectrum of accessibility disciplines. Clients do not need to determine which specialty they need before contacting GAC — GAC helps identify the appropriate expertise, methodology, and pathway.
Built EnvironmentUniversal DesignDigitalWorkplace & HRADA AccommodationTourismHospitalitySustainabilityCustomer ExperienceConflict ResolutionProcurementEmergency AccessibilityOrganizational ExcellenceTrainingResearchEconomic Analysis
Not Sure Where to Begin?
Tell us what is happening. Whether you are addressing a specific accessibility concern, planning a new project, evaluating organizational performance, or building a long-term accessibility strategy, GAC can help identify the appropriate starting point.
START A CONVERSATIONIndustries We Serve
GAC brings specialized expertise across 16 industry verticals.
Tourism & Destinations
Accessible Tourism
The Future of Tourism Is Designed for Everyone
Participation. Independence. Choice. Experience.
Accessible tourism has moved beyond a niche market. Exceptional destinations anticipate human differences rather than respond to them.
- Accessible destinations attract more visitors, generate more revenue, and build stronger economies by integrating thoughtful design, service, information, technology, and experience, enabling more people to travel with confidence, independence, choice, and dignity.
Research & Insights
Research & Insights
GAC produces original research, policy analysis, and practical guidance.
Accessible TourismComing Soon
Accessible Tourism Research
Forthcoming GAC research on accessible tourism trends.
Leadership
"The highest standard of accessibility is anticipation—creating environments, services, and experiences where people are already considered."
Dr. Rebecca Williams
Founder & Principal
Scholar · Researcher · Accessibility Strategist · Organizational Leader
Dr. Rebecca Williams is an organizational leader, scholar, and researcher with deep expertise in accessibility, Universal Design, and the intersection of accessibility with organizational excellence.
Learn more about Dr. WilliamsGet Started
Ready to Lead on Accessibility?
Whether you are building your accessibility foundation or advancing toward recognized excellence, GAC provides the expertise, frameworks, and partnership to help you get there.